


Tragedy and Triumph

by shrugheadjonesthethird



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Future, Betty Cooper Loves Jughead Jones, Betty and Jug were best friends, Dont worry its only Alice and Hal, F/M, Falling In Love, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Future Fic, Jughead Jones A+ Parenting, Jughead Jones Loves Betty Cooper, Medium Burn, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Road Trips, Writer Jughead Jones, but not really any, dad jughead, in case of emergency, only a little angst, sweetvee, teacher jughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-24 09:09:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 21,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16172027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrugheadjonesthethird/pseuds/shrugheadjonesthethird
Summary: Ten years without Jughead. Ten years since he left her on a street corner in New York City, telling her he wasn't ready to move back to sleepy ol' Riverdale. Ten years of suppressing her feelings. Ten years of feeling incomplete.ORIn case of Emergency, call Betty Cooper. A story in two parts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea hit my like a freight train in a McDonald's parking lot one afternoon a month or so ago. It's been ready to go, but I was waiting, for what I'm not entirely sure, but I did. And now I'm not anymore.
> 
> What better way to cheer yourself up on a stormy evening than to post a new two-shot, right?!
> 
> A huge shout out to Summer (@srainebuggie/SummerRaine14) and Lyss (@bettscoppr) for reading this through and helping me make this readable and coherent.

Betty Cooper was not having a good week. The job in California that she’d left the comforts of New York for had laid her off, her boyfriend, who she was sure was going to propose anyday, broke up with her, and she’d more than likely have to move out of her subpar student housing very soon. She didn’t think her week could get any worse.

She left New York five years ago, chasing an opportunity in Sacramento that she thought would be her dream job. As it turned out, it wasn’t, she absolutely _hated_ it. She was a glorified intern-- coffee runs, courier, general gopher. If she was being honest, part of her was happy to be let go, but not having a job or a way to support herself wasn’t part of the plan.

If she was being honest again, she didn’t really _need_ to work. The deaths of her parents had left her with a healthy inheritance. As it happened, when Polly disappeared into a cult, her parents rewrote their wills, essentially eradicating her older sister from their lives.

Before her parents’ untimely death, Betty was certain she never wanted to work in any kind of print media. Unfortunately, life had other plans. She returned to it shortly after, as a way to feel closer to them, as a way to make them proud, even if they were gone. Not that they deserved that kind of homage, but they were still her parents, despite their constant need for perfection and anxiety-inducing lectures about not living her life properly.

She made her way back through Sacramento to her small studio apartment that was reserved for students at the nearby college. She was able to convince her landlord she was attending as a graduate student and he didn’t put up too much of a fight considering she gave him first and last month’s rent on the spot. She was looking for anyway she could save money at the time, but now it really didn’t much matter.

She didn’t have a lot, by way of material possessions. Just enough to furnish her apartment (which wasn’t even hers, it came with the apartment), enough clothing for two weeks and a few other staples, but other than that, she lived a very minimal life. It was the way she liked it.

She walked through her door, not paying attention to the notice taped to her door. She threw her keys onto the kitchen counter and kicked off her shoes where she stood. She didn’t care about putting them back in spot by the front door like she usually did, not in that moment anyway.

She changed into the same pajamas she’d worn the night before, grabbed the tub of ice cream from her freezer and plopped onto the couch. A growl ripped from her lungs as she sat and thought about the previous few days. As she shoved another spoonful of the marshmallow chocolate goodness that is rocky road into her mouth, a rap at her door broke her concentration on her chocolate-coated spoon.

The spoon remained in her mouth as she proceeded to open the door with more sass than usual. At the sight of her landlord, she cringed slightly and pulled the spoon from her mouth.

“Hey, Mr. Castalonia. What brings you by this evening?” Her voice was dripping with false bubbliness, and he could tell.

“Miss Cooper. I take it you didn’t see my note on your door when you got home earlier? It said to call me as soon as possible. We have important matters to discuss about your current living arrangement. By that I mean, you have to be out by the end of the month.”

“I’m sorry, what?!” She raised her voice an octave, not expecting to hear that. What more could possibly go wrong.

“You’re not a student, Miss Cooper. This housing complex is reserved for students. So, unless you can provide me a current transcript, you need to be out by the end of the month.”

Betty’s eyes widened, she knew living where she was would only last for so long. It lasted longer than she needed it too, but she liked where she lived. It was strangely quiet for student housing. She had made friends with her neighbors, met her boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend there. Maybe it was time to move on. If the universe had conspired for all of these terrible things to happen, all within days of each other, it was probably a sign to move on.

The end of the month was was only a week away. She was grateful for her life of minimalism. The next morning, she researched where she could go next, Washington, Texas, Michigan, her choices were limitless. She’d always wanted to travel, maybe now was her time.

She began packing that night, still unsure of what she was going to be doing. She knew it wouldn’t take long, but she did it slowly. She went to bed early that night, exhausted from all the possibilities coming her way. Maybe, just maybe, things were finally looking up for Betty.

Betty was awoken by the shrill sounds of her phone ringing. She turned to her alarm clock, eyes still half closed, not ready to deal with whatever was happening with her phone. The music stopped and she flopped back over and let out a sigh. Just as she was closing her eyes again, her phone rang again. She picked it up, seeing an unknown number flash across the screen, directly underneath it indicated three missed calls, all within the span of five minutes.

Whoever it was, it must have been important.

“Hello?” She answered, her voice was shrouded in a thick coat of sleep and mild irritation from being woken up at 2:39 in the morning.

“Hello. I’m looking for Miss Elizabeth Cooper. Is she available, please?” A kindly woman asked from the other end of her phone. It almost made it slightly more irritating. Who was this happy this early in the morning, or late at night, she wasn’t sure which it was anymore.

“This is her. Who may I ask is calling?” Her manners still shining through, no matter the time, or her annoyance.

“My name is Heather Lively. I’m calling from Baton Rouge General Medical Center in reference to Forsythe Jones.”

“You must be mistaken. I haven’t been in touch with Ju-- Mr. Jones in quite some time. Are you sure you’re looking for me?”

Heather read off her pedigree information to confirm it was her she was looking for.

“Can I ask what this is about?”

“Mr. Jones has been injured and we’ve been asked to locate his emergency contact.”

Betty’s heart dropped. Not only had she not heard from Jughead Jones in nearly a decade, but now, after all this time, the first she is is from a woman in Louisiana saying he was injured. She tried to wrap her head around why she’d be his emergency contact. He’d left her behind without a word just after college graduation. He was off to see the world, find himself, whatever that meant, while she had been stuck in the rut that was her life.

 

\-- 

_Graduating from college was something they were proud of. Neither Betty nor Jughead thought they’d actually do it. In reality, they knew they would, but the overwhelming pressure from all sides made it seem nearly impossible in the moment._

_They had been by each other’s side every step (and misstep) of the way. They were each other’s best friend, confidant, study buddy, shoulder to cry on. Through everything it was Betty and Jughead, to the point that people assumed they were dating, but much to Betty’s dismay, they were not._

_She never had the nerve to say anything. Not in high school, not in college, and certainly not as newly-minted graduates._

_They were set to head back to New York, the last of their apartment packed in the moving truck, when Jughead grabbed her hand in his._

_“Hey, it’s been quite the adventure, hasn’t it?” Jughead chuckled. “Are we really ready to back to sleepy ol’ Riverdale? Don’t you think we’ve, I don’t know, outgrown it?” His thumb grazed lightly over the back of her hand, something he often did when he was about to say something she was going to disagree with._

_“I mean, I guess so, but what other options do we have, Juggie? We can’t exactly afford to live here anymore.” She knew it was true that they’d moved past their hometown, but part of her wasn’t completely ready to let it go._

_“I’m not going back.” His words were blunt, stabbing her heart, ripping their way into her throat._

_“What do you mean you’re not going back? Where are you going?” Betty was confused, his things were on the truck, everything was set. Where was this coming from?_

_“I don’t know yet, but I think I need to figure myself out before I can settle back into the complacency of small town life. I never really belonged there anyway.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I can write from the road, that won’t be an issue. I’ll be okay.” She wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself._

_She needed to tell him, tell him before he left for God knows how long, to God knows where. She tried to speak, but her mouth was a desert, no moisture to be found. Her eyes pricked with tears over the words that had died in her throat, just out of reach. Her mind was racing, thoughts of what now, what if, and why didn’t he ask me to come with him._

_He gave her a insecure half smile, which did nothing to quell her nerves about his impending disappearance. What was she going to do? It had always been Betty and Jughead, since they were kids. She didn’t know who she was without him, and she didn’t want to find out. He was part of her, in every part of her life (well, almost)._

_She pulled him in for a hug, a real honest to God rib cracking hug. She didn’t know when she’d see him again, had no idea where he was going to go, but he was going, and she knew there would be no convincing him otherwise._

_Maybe he would stay if she just told him, but she didn’t want to take that chance. Not when it would seem like it was coming from a place a desperation instead of sincerity, even if both were true in that moment._

_\--_

 

The only regret Betty had in her life was that she never told Jughead how she felt. Over the years, as their interactions had waned, Betty tried to let go of her childhood love, but she couldn’t; there was something tethering her to him. She googled his name frequently in attempts to keep track of where he was or what he was doing. She’d found stories published online across multiple platforms, each one better than the last, as she knew they would be.

She always admired his talent and dedication, and it seemed being out on his own didn’t change his voice. She wondered what about him had changed. Did he still wear his beanie, the one he barely let out of his sight, the one that had been along on every adventure they’d embarked on? Was he still the tall, lanky cynic that always played devil’s advocate? Was he still her Jughead? _Probably not_ , she thought as she shook the thoughts from her mind.

He probably wasn’t anything like the fresh-faced young man she knew. He had experienced the country, maybe even the world. He had moved on from their tired, simple lives of rural adolescence.

“I’m sorry, Heather was it? You’ll have to forgive me. It’s nearly three in the morning and this is a lot to process. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Legally, I cannot, Miss Cooper, but we’re going to need to you to come out here to make sure everything is in order.”

“Is he dying?” She didn’t want to ask, but the way in which she was phrasing things made it seem like he only had hours left to live.

“Oh goodness, no. Nothing that serious.” Betty expelled the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “But, we do need you to come out here.”

“When?”

“At your earliest convenience. He isn’t going anywhere for at least a week or so. Is this something that you can do?”

At nearly thirty years old, Betty had nothing left tying her to the shell of her former life in California. No job, no romantic endeavors, no children, nothing. She did always want to see the country. Maybe this would be her shot.

“Yes, ma’am. I can do that. I can be there in four or five days. Will that be alright?”

What was she thinking, driving half way across the country to see the boy that left her behind? Why was she his emergency contact? What about FP or Jellybean or, hell, even Fred Andrews? Why her?

“Yes, Miss Cooper. Safe travels. We will see you soon.”

“Oh, Heather?”

“Yes, Miss Cooper?” Betty sighed again, still debating her next move.

“Don’t-- don’t tell him I’m coming.”

“He doesn’t even know I’ve spoken to you. We do this as a precaution for our patients. You have a great night, Miss Cooper.”

The phone call ended just as abruptly as it started, leaving Betty flooded with a rush of emotions she hadn’t faced in years.

There was a point in time that she thought she and Jughead would always be there for each other, but those thoughts were quickly dispelled when he left her on that city block. She knew it would never be the same, the promises of _we’ll talk everyday_ turned into, _I’ll call you next week_ fading into _has it been six months already_ into eventual nothingness.

When she finally realized he wasn’t coming back, she tried her best to move on, even dated. She tried to date in Riverdale, but knowing everyone for so long really took the thrill out of meeting new people-- they simply weren’t exciting to her. She needed that.

When she’d taken the job offer in Sacramento, she’d actively tried to date, and she succeeded. Her most recent boyfriend, who had broken up with her earlier that week, the one she was sure was going to propose to her, cited something she hadn’t realized in her break up.

 

\-- 

_Betty had walked into her apartment after a long day of being overworked and underappreciated at her job to a packed duffle bag and a suitcase._

_“Charlie?” Betty called into the apartment._

_He emerged from the kitchen, drying his hands on a piece of paper towel that Betty knew was too big for the job and tossed it in the garbage can._

_“Hey. I didn’t think you’d be home so soon,” he said, his eyes looking at the bags packed by the front door._

_“Are you going somewhere?”_

_“Kind of. Listen, I think,” he look a deep breath and gestured to the couch for them to sit as he continued, “You are great, honestly.”_

_“But?”_

_“But, I don’t think this is going to work.” She didn’t say anything, just stared at him with unamused wide eyes. “You really are a wonderful person, but I don’t think I can continue this when your heart isn’t in it, not fully anyway.”_

_“What?”_

_“There is a part of you that will always be reserved for someone else. I’m not that someone else. Don’t kid yourself, we both know it.”_

_She hadn’t realized just how right Charlie was. Part of her was going to always love Jughead, no matter how she tried to fight it. Deep down, she knew that Jughead was her person, but she was always too stubborn to say anything. How could he not see it?_

_“I’m sorry.” Tears trickled down her face, not for the break up, but for her harsh realization that she’d never truly be happy without Jughead by her side. He was part of her and without him, she’d simply never be whole._

\--

 

At quarter after three in the morning, her mind was moving too quickly to go back to sleep. She got herself dressed and continued packing what she had left. She’d gone online to reserve a small moving cube that she could attach to her SUV, and she’d planned her route to Baton Rouge. 

_I guess I’m really doing this_.

She thought about reserving hotel rooms along the way, but ultimately decided against it, just in case she didn't get as far as she planned in a given day.

She was able to pick up the moving cube at 5:30 that morning. If she said she’d be there in four to five days, that’s when she’d be there. Her life was packed into ten boxes. She took a last look around her studio, ensured she hadn’t forgotten anything, left the key on the kitchen counter and closed the door behind her, effectively ending this chapter of her life.

She got behind the wheel of her truck and chuckled to herself. She couldn’t believe she was actually doing it. She never thought she’d be the kind of girl to drop everything and go if he needed it. She was wrong.

But it wasn’t that she was dropping everything in her life to go to Baton Rouge. Everything in that week had dropped her. If the universe was conspiring against her, _or maybe it was in her favor_ , to make this reunion happen, she’d gladly listen. Maybe this was finally her chance.

She was determined not to rush to Baton Rouge; if she had passed something that caught her interest, she could stop. Unfortunately, the first day she was barely over the border into Arizona. She had forgotten what driving long stints did to her muscles and was thankful the small hotel she found a room at not only had a vacancy, but a bathtub, as well.

She awoke entirely too early the next morning after not really being able to sleep the night before. She was in an unfamiliar place and worried about the man she still considered her best friend, despite the time and distance between them. Her mind wandered to why he was in Baton Rouge. Maybe he took up jazz and played the saxophone in a band. Maybe he’d found steady work. Maybe he had finally settled down, like he said he would when he was ready.

She set out after a lukewarm shower and mediocre coffee, stopping for a better cup on her way out of town to the highway. Next stop: Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Coconino Forest Reserve had been her favorite place she’d seen so far. The red rock towering around her, the small towns she drove through, every piece of it new and exciting. She had wished she had someone to share it with. She stopped every so often to take pictures, wanting to remember what she’d seen, to be able to maybe relive it days, weeks, or months from now when she was feeling bogged down.

Albuquerque to Fort Worth left much to be desired for the nearly ten-hour drive. She had stopped here and there out of necessity, but never longer than she needed to. There was nothing of interest to her on this road. The desert, she decided, was not her favorite place to be. It was hot, stagnant, and dry.

She arrived in Fort Worth an hour ahead of schedule, but in that time, she’d decided she was never driving nine hours straight, ever again, especially not by herself. She wondered how people did it, traveled alone without anyone to share their time, without someone to see the beauty that the journey had to offer.

She slept easily that night, more easily than she had the entire trip. She wasn’t sure if it was the fact that the bed was far more comfortable than the others she’d slept in on the road, pure exhaustion, or that she’d reach her intended destination the next day. It was more than likely a combination of all three.

Six more hours. Six more hours and she’d be face to face with Jughead Jones for the first time since graduating college. Six more hours and she’d have to confront the thing she didn’t realize she was trying to suppress. Six. More. Hours.

As quickly as she fell asleep, she was awake, now more anxious than she anticipated for the reunion with her best friend. She felt more rested than she had for the entirety of her journey, but she couldn’t wait to get on the road for the last leg.

Six more hours until she’d see Jughead. Six more hours until she could touch him, until she could hold his hand and reassure him that everything would be okay, until she could finally yell at him for leaving her on the street corner alone to figure out the world on her own.

She stopped halfway through and nearly turned around. Was she insane for jumping into this mess? She didn’t know what she was going to find when she got to Baton Rouge. For all she knew, he wasn’t the same, he wasn’t her Jughead. And if he wasn’t, she didn’t know if she’d want him.

She thought back to what she’d accomplished in the last ten years. The list wasn’t long. She finished graduate school, worked a few odd jobs, but nothing she was incredibly attached to. Everything she did felt wrong, like part of it was missing.

\--

A feeling of dread washed over her as she pulled into the parking lot of Baton Rouge General Medical Center. She was tired, stiff from being in her SUV for the better part of five days, but she was there.

And what was she doing there exactly?

The thought had crossed her mind more times in the last few days than it had in years. Sure, she’d always wondered what ripped her life in two, but she at least took his words at face value. He needed to figure himself out. He wasn’t ready to settle back into small town life.

But now she was wondering what lead him to Baton Rouge. Is this where he had finally settled down by coincidence, or was this his destination the entire time?

She took a few calming breaths, her hands pulsing in and out of fists to try to quell the rising anxiety she could feel in her bones. She placed her hand on the door handle and left it there a moment longer than typical. She was really doing it.

She walked through the front door of the medical center, the fluorescent lighting harsh compared to the last few days of pure sunshine she’d been experiencing. She looked around the room. It was fairly empty, a tall man with a young girl sitting in the waiting room, but looking exhausted from lack of sleep. Or maybe it was despair. She couldn’t be sure.

She walked up to the front desk, where a rather unassuming woman was sitting behind a perfectly maintained desk. Betty waited for a moment, taking in the everything around her. Stark white patches peeking behind posters for interpreting options, health insurance carriers, and passive-aggressive signage directed toward patients and visitors littered the walls. The phone was silent, which she figured was out of the ordinary for a hospital phone. She scanned the woman’s face as her eyes floated across the computer screen in front of her. Betty’s gaze found her name tag, _Heather_. It was a common enough name, but she felt as thought it was probably the same woman she’d spoken to on the phone earlier that week.

“Ms. Lively?” Betty spoke up finally. The woman’s eyes met Betty’s, confusion imprinted behind them. “I’m Elizabeth Cooper, we spoke earlier this week. Unless I’m mistaken and there is more than one Heather who works here.”

“No, dear. That would be me, and here you are, exactly when you said you’d be. How was the trip?”

“Far too long spent in the car from California, but I made it.” She chuckled to herself, trying to ease her inner voices screaming to just find Jughead already.

As she continued her small talk with Heather, neither of them mentioning the reason she was there in the first place, Betty’s body pulsed. It was like her heart knew he was nearby, knew they were in the same building. She shut her eyes tight, willing her heart to stop racing, trying to actively stop her feet from moving from their spot.

She tried to avert her eyes, eventually finding the people she’d seen on her way in. They were standing at the window, looking wistfully outside into the parking lot. He was tall, taller than anyone she’d met before, a leather jacket clinging to his shoulders, denim clad legs tucked haphazardly into black combat boots. The girl with him, she couldn’t have been more than twelve, maybe his sister she posited, looked just like him. Flowing inky tresses swept into a haphazard ponytail, a flannel around her waist. Her head was leaning on the man’s shoulder and she hoped that whoever they were there for would be okay.

She couldn’t ignore the pulsing of her heart. It was telling her something and she couldn’t ignore it.

“Can I see him?” Betty asked Heather, her voice so quiet, she barely heard her.

“Room 813. Take the elevator to the eighth floor, make a right. You’ll find it from there.” Heather smiled sweetly at her, her arm pointing in the direction of the elevator.

Betty smiled her thanks and before she could register what was happening, her legs were moving in the direction of elevator, hitting the button, getting in and pressing the glowing ‘8.’

The ride up seemed to take an eternity. _What was taking so long?_ When the steel of the doors slid open, she hesitated before stepping out, but eventually followed her feet to the right, as per Heather’s directions, and stopped when she saw the messy scrawl of a doctor’s handwriting on a whiteboard. **_JONES_ **

She stood in front of the door. It was mostly closed, shielding her from view of whoever was behind it. She was about to push the door open when a older man walked from behind it, startling her. She nodded her head at him and half smiled as he walked passed her.

She took a deep breath in, her hands still flexing at her sides. It was now or never. She forced her hands into the pockets of her sundress and slowly inched into the room. There was only one bed from what she could tell. The curtains were drawn open; only a small corner lamp lit the room.

She was walking so slowly she may as well have been going backward. She squared her shoulders and looked straight ahead, summoning as much courage as she could. Her heart was racing nearly out of her chest, from nerves or her close proximity to Jugheads she wasn’t sure. With a final deep breath, she walked passed the wall that was blocking her view.

Jughead Jones was sitting up in a hospital bed, bare-chested and scribbling in a notebook. She watched him for a moment. Considering he was in a hospital bed, he looked at ease, almost happy. He didn’t look up when she cleared her throat from the wall, too afraid to walk any closer to him.

“Daisy, I told you to stay--” he said, his voice light, full of laughter, as he looked up and dropped the pen from his hand. “You are most certainly not Daisy,” he whispered.

“Hey, stranger.” She tried to make her voice at light as his, but was failing, tears already brimming and they’d barely even started.

“Betty. What’re you-- how did y-- Please tell me I’m not hallucinating.” He could barely get a coherent sentence from his lips.

“Not hallucinating,” she said as she twisted her hands in her pockets nervously.

They stared at each other for what felt like eternity. Betty was convinced time had stopped when she saw a small quirk up of his lips. She knew she’d missed him. She knew she loved him. She knew she was angry, hurt, disappointed. All at once, every emotion hit her, a tidal wave of feelings crashed into her.

“What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, because, God, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” He was nearly out of breath by the time he finished speaking, his eyes never leaving hers.

“The hospital called me, said they had to reach your _emergency contact_.” Betty’s voice a snappier than she intended it to be. A sudden realization was visible on Jughead’s face. “Why am I your emergency contact?” Her voice now careful, quiet.

“I never changed it.”

Betty had known she was his contact when they left for college, his parents being mostly removed from his life for a while at that point. He knew that she would be there no matter what, by his side, always. This was still true, even after all these years. They seemed to realize this at the same time. She let that answer be enough for the moment.

They stood in silence, slightly more uncomfortable than it used to be, unanswered questions looming thick in the sterile air between them.

Betty slowly pushed herself off of the wall and closer to Jughead. She wanted to reach out to him, but she wasn’t ready yet. She stood a foot away from the bed, still looking at him intently. Her eyes wandered to the bandaging on his shoulder, the hard black cast encompassing his wrist a few bruises across his face.

What caught her eye was the parts of him that had not been there before. An intricate daisy scrawled up the side of his abdomen, its petals drawn delicately as the stems intertwine with lace paisley and pocket watch with no hands. As she looked to see if there were any new additions to Jughead’s skin, other than bruising, she noticed one more tattoo directly over his heart. It looked as though the skin was carved out, showing the muscle beneath it, in the shape of a puzzle piece.

It was peculiar, she thought, but so was Jughead.

He reached out his hand to her, wanting to feel her skin on his for the first time in too long, but she took a half step back.

 

\--

_“Baby, slow down.” Jughead said breathlessly into her ear._

_Jughead wasn’t one for sexual encounters, but he couldn’t resist this girl. She was beautiful in ways he couldn’t describe with a dictionary open. Her golden hair flowed around her shoulders and green eyes shone so brightly he could barely look at them directly._

_“C’mon, Jug.” She pleaded impatiently. She had waited so long for him to notice her, and when he finally did, she didn’t waste any time._

_Jughead had met Shiloh Reynolds their junior year of college, finally giving into her physical advances fall semester of senior year. Sure, he thought she was beautiful, but she would never be as beautiful as his best friend._

_Shiloh looked eerily similar to Betty. Same eyes, same hair, similar interests, but she’d never be Betty. Jughead, being too afraid to confront his true feelings, settled._

_He pinned her arms over her head, his thumbs weaseling their way to her palms, stroking them lightly. He was wedged between her legs, nudging her opening, about to plunge his way into her when he hesitated._

_There was no girl who would ever replace Betty. He realized it the moment he didn’t feel the small indentations at the center of Shiloh’s palms. He knew Betty better than he knew anyone, and no look alike would change his struggling heart._

_He was too far into the act to stop at that point. He slept with Shiloh that night, with Betty on his mind the entire time. How could she not be?_

_\--_

 

Betty’s hands made their way from her pockets to her sides, still curled into fists. They’d been since she stepped foot on the elevator.

“Please don’t,” his voice never above a whisper. “This is my fault, I’m sorry.” There were tears in his eyes, waiting to fall.

“Why did you--” She was finally doing it, finally asking the question she yearned to know the answer to. “Why did you leave me behind?”

“It’s more complica--”

He was cut off by the booming voice she didn’t recognize.

“Jug! I talked to the nurses and... Oh. Sorry to interrupt?” She recognized the man from the waiting room, and the girl directly behind him. “I thought the nurse was done.”

“She’s not the nurse,” Jughead said, his voice still faltering, eyes still trained on Betty, whose own eyes were a dam about to burst. “This is Betty.” He stressed her name, willing them to know the importance of who was standing with them.

“Who the fu--” The man censored himself as Jughead’s eyes widened, reminding him there was a child present. “Wait!” The realization finally hit him. “ _the_ Betty?”

Betty’s eyebrows furrowed; she’d never been referred to as _the_ before. Jughead simply nodded. Sweet Pea tilted his head in return, slowly, finally grasping the full weight of what was happening in front of him.

Betty hadn’t moved, had barely breathed since their conversation was cut short.

“Pea, take Daisy to your mom’s house. Come back later and we’ll all have dinner or something, okay?” His eyes finally left Betty’s, imploring Sweet Pea to listen to him without further question.

Sweet Pea nodded again and placed a hand on Daisy’s back to lead her out. Daisy darted from his hand and sat on the edge of Jughead’s bed and threw her arms around him.

“Love you, Daddy,” she whispered into his neck before rejoining Sweet Pea by the door. She whispered it just loud enough for Betty to overhear.

“C’mon, Dodge. Let’s go see Grandma.”

The dam had broken.

Sweet Pea and Daisy slipped out without another word, leaving Betty wrought with tears and Jughead with a lot of explaining to do.

Betty spotted a chair against the wall and placed her jacket over the back before sliding it next to his bed. She sat down, ankles crossed, with her hands in her lap picking at her cuticles.

“Why did you come?” Jughead asked, forgetting he was in the middle of a sentence before Sweet Pea barged in.

“Answer me first. Tell me. Everything.” Betty’s heart pounded in her chest. Daddy? He couldn’t possibly be.

“I didn’t want to take you away from the amazing things I knew you were going to do.” He adjusted the pillow behind his shoulder and turned to face her. “I knew if I told you what was happening you’d want to be involved, and I couldn’t do that to you.”

“Jug--”

“Do you remember Shiloh from Creative Nonfiction junior year?” Betty nodded her head slowly. “Well, beginning of senior year, she and I were kind of a thing.” Her heart nearly shattered in her chest. “She just looked so much like y--” Jughead took a deep breath, “--so much like you, and I couldn’t have you, so I guess I settled. Either way, we were a thing. I got a call just before we were going to move back home from her brother, saying that she had the baby but she wasn’t stable enough to raise her and they were going to put her in foster care. I didn’t even know she was pregnant, but I couldn’t let my child be put into the foster system. We both know how fucked up it can be for kids.”

Betty didn’t hide the tears rolling down her cheeks, splashing onto the hem of her dress.

“I left because I needed to. I couldn’t let her be a foster kid when I could be there for her. When I got out here, I had to fight for custody. I won, obviously, but a few months after that, Sweet Pea found Shiloh in the bathtub. I’ll spare you the details, but she killed herself and bled out.”

Betty gasped louder than intended. It was not where she was expecting this explanation to go.

“I had something to prove to myself. I knew that I could be a better father than my dad was. I owed it to myself, and to Daisy.”

Betty went to speak, but he held up a hand to stop her. He wasn’t done.

“I didn’t want to leave you behind, but I couldn’t abandon my daughter. That part I know you understand. It got so hard to keep in contact, not because of raising Daisy, that was surprisingly easy. I mean, I had help thanks to Sweets and his mom, but it hurt too much to be away from you and not tell you, especially when--” Jughead stopped talking, his words seemed to be stuck in his throat. Betty could see him struggling to find the right words to say.

“Especially when what?” she said on her exhale, not really sure she was ready to hear his answer.

“Do you remember when we were in high school?” She nodded, confused. “There was a moment when we were at Pop’s, I don’t even think you realized that you did it, you probably still do it if I had to guess,” he chuckled to himself.

 

\--

_Jughead and Betty were sitting in their regular booth at Pop’s after school studying for a test that they were already over prepared for. Betty sat with her head down, buried in a book, as per usual leaving Jughead to watch her as she read._

_She was moving her mouth as she read the same lines they’d studied at nauseum. Her phone vibrated on the table next to her, pulling her from the pages of her textbook. She picked it up and swiped it open. Her smile was bright, genuine as she wrinkled her nose and full belly laughed at a photo her sister had sent her._

_It was the first time that Jughead Jones saw something in Betty’s smile that offered him something more than friendship. The slighted crinkle of her nose might have been the cutest thing he’d ever seen._

_\--_

 

“That was when I knew I was in love with you, but I never had the courage to say anything. There was no way you felt the same way. So, I hid it and tried to make it through the best I could, but it was always you. Shiloh was the closest thing I could get to you.” Jughead let out a exceptionally long breath after regaling her with the tale of the exact moment their dynamic changed. 

Betty laughed to herself, wiping the tears from her eyes with her wrists. It was Betty’s turn to play.

“Do _you_ remember, early sophomore year of high school? When we were investigating the vandalism of Pickens Park? We hid behind the old gazebo to stand watch to see if anyone came to the statue that night. We were there for hours trying to find ways to fill the time without getting caught. There was a moment, maybe even a split second where we thought we heard something behind us. You grabbed my hand and I nearly fell over trying to pull away from you? Do you know why I pulled away from you?”

Jughead shook his head, she was sure he didn’t know why, but was also sure that he remembered just as vividly as she did.

“That shock. I thought maybe it was static electricity, but then reasoned there would be no possible way.”

“You felt that, too?”

“Why didn’t you say anything to me?” Her voice was back to quiet, her hand at some point had grasped the edge of the bed, her knuckles nearly white.

“I didn’t think I’d ever have a shot. You’re you and I’m, well, me.”

“What does that even mean? Jug, we’ve been best friends since I can remember. Are we really going to have the ‘ _but I’m from the Southside and I’m a terrible person’_ talk again, because I’m tired of that one.” Betty laughed at her impression of him from when they were younger.

Her grip on the edge of his bed loosened, hands falling back into her lap.

“I was so mad at you,” she finally said, narrowly avoiding an awkward silence. “I was so mad that you left to live your life without me, that you wouldn’t want me with you. I didn’t know who I was without you, and if I’m being honest, the last ten years sucked without you by my side. We’ve always been Betty and Jughead. Being just Betty was terrifying.”

“I’m not going to lie and say the last ten years have sucked, because they haven’t, but I have missed you so, so much,” he said. “I wanted to call you, come find you, something, but I just couldn’t. If I had found out that you were with someone else, even though I have no right to be mad, I’d be furious. I know it isn’t my place, but it would have hurt more than not having you in my life at all.”

Jughead’s eyes were honest, clear as day, the same blue they’d always been. She was glad they were still as expressive.

“I tried dating,” she said. “It was terrible. My last relationship ended last week, actually. He told me he couldn’t be with me anymore because he knew that my heart wasn’t in it. It was with someone else. He wasn’t wrong.”

“So, I didn’t miss my shot?” Jughead’s eyebrows shot up, eyes full of hope, longing.

“What about your daughter? I can’t just come into your life, not when you have her to think about, too. Not when we don’t know each other anymore.”

“What if we talked to her? I think she’d be pretty open to it. She knows all about the wonderful Betty from Riverdale who’s saved my ass on more than one occasion and single-handedly help me escape several compromising situations in one piece.” He chuckled to himself.

Were they really going to jump right in after a ten year hiatus? Clearly their feeling were still as strong as they’d ever been.

“But you didn’t answer my question. Did I miss my shot? I know I’m fifteen years too late, but--”

Betty reached out her hand and grabbed his, the same spark she’d felt in high school reigniting. Their eyes connected, answering one another before words could.

“I don’t really think jumping into this is such a great idea. There is a lot we need to relearn about each other. And like I said, what about Daisy? It’s not just that she doesn’t know me. I don’t want to replace her mother.”

“She’s never really had one anyway. Maybe you’re right, though. Maybe we should try being friends again first. Relearn each other, see if we can still make something work between the two of us.”

As Betty stood up to sit next to him on the bed, a knock came at the door. The nurse came in to check his vitals and promptly left.

“Um. So I never asked, I didn’t exactly have the chance to. What happened that you landed yourself in the hospital?” She reached to tuck the wild curl behind his ear, but readjusted and sat on her hands, instead. She didn’t think she was ready for that, at least not yet.

 

\-- 

_It was the tenth anniversary of Shiloh’s death. Sweet Pea was sick of Jughead moping around, mourning the loss._

_“Let’s go out tonight,” Sweet Pea had suggested._

_“And we’re just gonna leave Dodge home alone? I don’t think so.”_

_“I already called my mom. She’s gonna watch her so we can go. She’ll be here in fifteen minutes. C’mon, Jug. We could both use the night out.”_

_Jughead finally gave in shortly after Sweet Pea’s mother showed up to the house. They made their way to the bar and settled onto two barstools. The young bartender read them off the specials for the night, neither of them biting._

_“Whiskey neat and a whiskey soda,” Sweet Pea said, ordering for both him and Jughead. The bartender was off to make their drinks and returned shortly thereafter. She had given Sweet Pea a once over before a flirtatious smile appeared on her lips._

_“Sorry, darlin. I’m married,” he said, clanking his ring against the wooden bartop. “But my friend here, he’s not,” Sweet Pea said clasping a hand onto Jughead’s shoulder._

_The bartender looked at Jughead and turned back to Sweet Pea._

_“Too bad.”_

_“Wow, that might the fastest I’ve ever been rejected,” Jughead laughed._

_A few barstools down, another group of guys were having a conversation that was probably a little louder than they intended. Jughead and Sweet Pea caught key words and phrases._ Isn’t that the dead girl’s brother? _And_ I think that’s her baby daddy, too. _Words like_ psycho _and_ whore _stuck in Sweet Pea’s mind, and before the other men knew it, Sweet Pea was up and in their faces._

_“Mind sayin’ that again? I don’t think I heard you correctly,” Sweet Pea said, jaw clenched tighter than Jughead had ever seen it._

_“Pea, calm down, maybe we should just go,” Jughead said trying to pull Sweet Pea away._

_“We said, aren’t those two guys related to that psycho whore who died? The brother and the boyfriend. So sad, really,” the drunk man said, a smile on his lips and a laugh lodged in his throat._

_Jughead’s first reaction was to tell the man that he was not the boyfriend, just the father of her child, but he didn’t. He was sure it wouldn’t help matters._

_Sweet Pea’s first reaction was to punch blindly into the man’s face. Jughead attempted to intervene, but when he grabbed for his friend’s shoulder, Sweet Pea threw him across the bar into a table, cracking his wrist. He let out a string of obscenities before trying again, only to get tossed into the bar by the second man Pea had confronted. He felt his collar bone crack as it made forceful contact with the bartop._

_He took a few steps back, consumed by pain. He told the bartender to call the cops and probably an ambulance before he slumped into a chair, unable to focus on anything besides the physical agony he was in._

\--

 

“The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital bed,” Jughead shrugged.

“So, two drunk guys insulted Shiloh, and your first thought was to correct them that you weren’t her boyfriend?” Betty questioned. “Your priorities are not the greatest, Jug. Never really have been. Well, I guess until you became a father.”

Another knock rung out and the door swung open to reveal not only Sweet Pea and Daisy, but another raven-haired beauty, her hand clasped tightly around Sweet Pea’s.

“We brought dinner,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Oh, who do we have here? Whoever you are, you are gorgeous. You can’t be here to see our Jughead, can you?”

“Guilty,” Betty said, a small smile on her lips. “Hi, I’m Betty Cooper, nice to meet you.”

“Veronica Reynolds, Sweet Pea’s wife. Very nice to finally meet you, Betty Cooper. Jughead, those photos you showed us do _not_ do this woman justice.” Veronica cooed.

“You showed them my picture?” Betty asked, turning back to face Jughead, her face tinged with pink.

“There’s one on his nightstand,” Daisy spoke up from behind Sweet Pea.

She was the spitting image of Jughead; there was no trace of Reynold genes to her. She was undoubtedly a Jones, through and through.

“Dodge, you’re gonna do me dirty like that in front of m’lady?” Jughead asked in mock horror. Daisy laughed, her giggles bouncing off the walls of the hospital room.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Daisy. I’m Betty Cooper.”

“Daisy Olivia Jones,” she said taking Betty’s outstretched hand to shake in her own. “They call me Dodge, but maybe you can just call me Daisy.”

The four of them sat around eating dinner while Betty sat in her chair trying to process everything she’d learned in the last few hours.

“So, Betty. What is it that you do?” Veronica asked.

“It’s funny you should ask, actually. It’s been a pretty rough week.” Betty laughed, but it was humorless.

“What do you mean?” Jughead sat up, grabbing her hand in his, threading their fingers together. She looked up at him, eyes wide, a smile on her face.

“Let’s start from the beginning. Charlie broke up with me,” she started, seeing the jealousy in Jughead’s eyes. “I lost my job, which really isn’t too much of a loss because I hated it. I got evicted because my landlord found out I wasn’t a student. And then I get a phone call from a hospital 32 hours away saying that you’re injured. So, needless to say, it’s been rough.” She shook her head at how ridiculous it all sounded.

“Now you’re here?” Sweet Pea threw in. “Is that your truck parked out front, the one with the moving cube on the back?”

“That would be mine, yeah. I figured since I had to be out of my apartment anyway, I may as well make the drive out here.”

“Where to next, back home to Riverdale?” Jughead asked, sweeping his thumb across her hand.

“I haven’t lived there in years. There’s nothing left there for me. My parents died a few years ago in an accident. Who knows where Polly is these days. I haven’t been back there since before they died. I was in California, but I have nowhere to be now.” She shrugged, not really sure what to make of her life.

“Stay with us!”

“Dodge?”

“Stay with us. Clearly, she’s important to Daddy. We all know he _loves_ her. Why doesn’t she just stay? She said she had nowhere to be. Be here, with us.” The small girl was wise beyond her years.

Betty was overcome with emotion. Even Jughead’s daughter knew how important she was to her father, and they’d only known each other for a few hours.

“I think that’s something your dad and Betty need to talk about, little flower,” Veronica said to Daisy.

With that, Veronica, Sweet Pea, and Daisy stepped out of the room to give them some much needed privacy.

“She’s a smart girl,” Jughead chuckled to himself as the door clicked closed. “But, the offer is on the table. I wouldn’t want you having to stay in a hotel or something when you can just as easily stay with us. Besides, it’ll be nice to have some company. The house is pretty quiet during the day,” he shrugged.

“I couldn’t intrude on you guys, really. I’ll figure something out.”

“I know you’re not seriously going to fight me on this. You’re staying with us. We have a guest room. Please?” Jughead attempted his best puppy dog eyes that Daisy used on him from time to time.

“You’re one hundred percent sure? I really don’t want to impose.”

“Betty Cooper, not wanting to impose? Last I checked, that was a Cooper family past time.”

“Well, you’re not wrong there,” Betty laughed. Maybe her staying wouldn’t be so bad. She’d have a chance to relearn everything about her best friend, her first love.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah.”

Betty and Jughead’s hands stayed joined as the night progressed, neither wanting to break the contact they’d spent more than ten years yearning for. They knew they had a long way to go before they could try dating, but it was clear from that simple gesture that a relationship wasn’t far off.

Jughead was released from the hospital the next afternoon, with assistance from Betty, Veronica, and Sweet Pea. Betty had moved her stuff into the guest room of Jughead’s house, feeling strange to suddenly be thrust back into his life.

It didn’t take long for them to settle into a routine once Jughead was home. While Daisy was at school, Betty and Jughead had plenty of time to talk, filling each other in on the last ten years of their lives.

  
Betty had taken to cooking dinner every night for Jughead and Daisy, since Jughead wouldn’t allow her to pay rent for staying in his guest room. He had loved watching Betty bond with Daisy. His daughter had taken to her immediately. All it managed to do was secure his ever-present love for Betty Cooper. 

As Betty had a firsthand look at Jughead as a father, she was astounded by how amazing he was with his daughter. She unconsciously rubbed at her abdomen as she watched them interact. She could see the love Daisy was raised with, the love she’d missed out on, but was hoping to find at some point in the future.

They had taken to openly flirting with each other, at least while Daisy wasn’t around. The last thing Betty wanted to do was confuse Jughead’s daughter.

Glances across the room, gentle touches, even hand holding became part of the usual routine.

After the first few weeks, Jughead would have to return to work, leaving Betty to her own devices in a new town she didn’t know too much about.

They sat on the front porch, as they did most nights, with cups of tea. His arm was around her on the porch swing as they gently rocked back and forth in the night air.

“What is it that you do, Jug? I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask.”

“I’m a teacher at the middle school across town. English.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. You’ve always been good with kids, and English.” Betty laughed, her hands wrapped around her warm mug of tea. They sat and talked for a bit longer before retiring to their respective bedrooms.

Betty had been having trouble sleeping since she’d moved into Jughead’s home. It was lovely, having someone always there was great, but something didn’t feel quite right. She wasn’t sure if it was the new state, the new house, or the new family she’d found herself suddenly a part of. Whatever it was, it was getting to be overwhelming, stealing her sleep a little more each night.

On this particular night, sleep alluded her completely, but not for a lack of trying. She pulled out every trick she’d ever learned to lull herself back to sleep, but nothing seemed to be working. She resigned herself to a sleepless night, took a book from the shelf in the den and plopped herself on the couch, only turning on a small side lamp as to not disturb Jughead or Daisy.

It was nearing four in the morning when Jughead woke up to begin his first day back to work, cast still on his wrist, but ribs feeling light years better than when he left the hospital. He had gotten used to waking up later than his usual schedule from being out of work for so long, but he was less tired than expected.

He made his way down the stairs, walking with his eyes half open into the kitchen to set the coffee pot. When he walked back into the living room, his eyes were more open than they had been the first time through, and he noticed Betty, a blanket covering her legs, resting on her elbows, her stomach flush against the couch.

“How long have you been awake?” Jughead asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

“Since nine yesterday morning.” She didn’t lift her head from the book she was reading, well, rereading. She’d picked this particular book because she knew it so well, hoping that the familiarity of it would help lull her to dreamland.

“Why haven’t you slept?” Jughead asked, squatting in front of her, his hand placed gently on her back.

The gesture warmed her inside and out. Oh, how she missed the small, tactile comforts of living with another person. Even an innocent touch as simple as that made her heart flutter and her cheeks flush.

Betty simply shrugged, trying to return to reading the book in her hands. Jughead took the book from her, sliding it gently from her hands, marking the page with a coaster, and putting on the end table, the ghost of a smirk playing on the corners of his mouth. Betty looked defeated. She sat up straight, blanket still covering her legs, her hands resting in her lap. Jughead’s hand moved to her knee.

“I’ve been having some trouble sleeping, so I come down here at night to read. Sometimes I sit on the porch, and usually I end up falling asleep, but--” She trailed off, not knowing how to finish the thought.

“I know it’s been a big adjustment, and I know that you’re still new to town, and things are still changing, but it’ll get easier eventually. It has to.”

Betty shrugged again. “I mean, I guess,” she yawned.

“C’mon. Follow me.” He said straightening himself up, reaching his hands out for hers.

She took his hands apprehensively, not entirely sure where he was going with his train of thought. He led her up the stairs, but instead of making a right into her bedroom, they made a left into his. Betty’s eyes furrowed, confused as to why he’d take her into his bedroom instead of her own.

He lead her to his bed and prompted her to sit. She did, hesitantly. She still wasn’t sure what was happening. He left her side and placed a CD into a small player in the corner of his room. Immediately, ambient sounds permeated the room; the sound of smooth running water and crickets chirping.

She was brought back instantly to the nights she spent camped at Sweetwater River. She used to go there in her teens, spending countless summers exploring the shores. She always slept better there, despite the grass, bugs and cramped quarters. She always figured it was from the white noise, the soothing sounds of nature rocking her gently to sleep.

She sat at the edge of Jughead’s bed, patiently waiting to see what he’d do next. He walked back to his bed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Betty’s ear.

“Lay down and take a nap,” Jughead said softly, ignoring her confused expression. “Just trust me.”

Betty curled up on the side of the bed that looked less messy, the side she figured he didn’t sleep on. She had lain on her side, her back facing the door, her eyes already heavy. She felt the bed divot behind her, a warm hand rubbing light circles on her back

“Jug, what’re you--”

He shushed her softly but didn’t speak again, just continued rubbing circles across her back, knowing that within minutes, her eyes would flutter closed and she’d wake up refreshed, ready for the day.

She woke up hours later, with Jughead still next to her, the weight of his arm over her waist stunning her at first.

She turned slowly in her place, facing Jughead.

“Hi.”

“Good morning, sunshine,” Jughead laughed.

“W’time is it?” Betty asked stretching her limbs and contorting her body.

“Five.”

“I only slept for an hour? I feel like I slept for days.”

“Five at night. I got home from work a little while ago. I didn’t wanna wake you up. I figured if you were still asleep, you needed it and you’d wake up on your own.”

“Then why are you in bed, too?”

“I couldn’t resist,” he shrugged, not even attempted to hide his smile. He brushed his fingertips over her bare shoulders and down her arm, ending with his hand on hers. “So, I was thinking today while I was at work.”

“Did you hurt yourself? Sorry. That was mean. Continue,” she chuckled, goading Jughead to continue.

“Very funny,” he mocked. “No. I was thinking about you being in my bed all day. I thought, maybe, if this is something you’re okay with-- and we can talk about it first, obviously-- but I was thinking maybe you’d wanna sleep in here more. Maybe even while I’m sleeping in here, too?” Jughead’s face looked hopeful.

They hadn’t really discussed their relationship or friendship or whatever they were pretending it was. They knew they were in love with each other, but they made it a point not to rush into anything.

“You want that? I’ve only been here a few weeks, and what about Daisy? I don’t want to confuse her.” Betty sat up, her back against the headboard.

“You’re the first real mother figure she’s had, other than Veronica, and even still, she’s just Aunt V. It’s been good for her having you around all the time. Besides, she loves you.”

“I don’t know, Jug.” She gnawed at the inside of her lips while her hands traced the stitching of the blanket over her lap.

Jughead left his bedroom, leaving Betty to think about what they’d discussed while she got dressed to go downstairs. He had taken it upon himself to cook something simple for them, giving Betty more time to relax. He found his daughter doing her homework at the dining room table, just as she did every night before dinner.

“Dodge. I need your help.” Daisy looked up at him and smiled.

“It’s about time, Dad.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! Here we are with part two! Let's dive right in, shall we?

Betty came down a short while later, her head still reeling over what she and Jughead had begun to discuss earlier in the evening. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to take that next step with Jughead. It was all she wanted for nearly fifteen years, but now that it was here, she was terrified. _What if it didn’t work out? What if his daughter hated her?_ What if--

Her thoughts were knocked from her head when Daisy came running up to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the kitchen.

“Well, hello to you, too, Daisy.”

“Dodge.”

“I thought only your dad, Uncle Sweets and Aunt V got to call you that. I heard through the grapevine only special people get to call you that.”

“Like I said. Dodge.” Her smile was wide, even if she was missing three of her baby teeth. “Besides, if you’re special to my dad, you’re special to me. Also, I have a question for you. Well, we do.”

Betty looked up at Jughead, who was leaning with his back against the kitchen countering watching the interaction unfold.

“What’s that, Dodge?” She said, trying out the new nickname. She didn’t hate it, and it certainly fit her.

“Do you wanna date us? My dad really likes you and I really like you, and we wanted to know if you were willing to give it a shot.”

Daisy looked up at her, still holding her by the hand. Her eyes sparkled just like Jughead’s had at that age. She saw so much of him in her.

“Well, how could I say no to that?” Betty smiled. “You’re sure that’s okay with you, Dodge?”

Betty’s eyes bounced between Daisy and Jughead, both of their faces looking hopeful and their eyes shining in anticipation.

“More than okay.” Daisy pulled Betty down and gave her the biggest hug she’d received in years. “Right, dad?”

Jughead’s smile widened. “That’s right, kiddo. Now, run along and finish your homework while we make dinner.”

Daisy took her cue and ran into the dining room to finish what was left of her schoolwork. Jughead pushed himself away from the counter and walked slowly toward Betty, who was left standing in the middle of the kitchen. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

“You used your daughter to ask me out?” There was a small laugh behind her words.

“You were worried about her not being on board. And do you know what she said to me when I told her?”

“What’d she s--”

“She said, ‘It’s about time, Dad. What took you so long?’.” His hands slowly moved up her shoulders and surrounded her neck, his thumbs tracing her jawline.

Betty’s eyes fluttered closed at his touch. She had no idea how such an innocent gesture could ignite her senses.

“So what do you say?” Jughead’s voice was low, full of so much hope.

Was it too fast? Betty had only been in Baton Rouge with the Jones’ for a few weeks. Nothing felt rushed by any means, just as they’d talked about. His daughter had no issues with her father dating, and she seemed to like Betty well enough.

She took a deep breath in, trying to find the right words, if there were such a thing. She nodded her head before she started talking, watching Jughead’s eyes glaze over in pure excitement.

Jughead didn’t wait for her verbal confirmation before he moved his hands from her neck to her around her waist, hoisting her easily into the air, a small burst of happiness erupting from his lungs.

“Jug, stop! Your ribs! You’re gonna hurt yourself!”

He set her back down onto the kitchen floor. “Worth it. It’ll always be worth it.”

He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Betty smiled and the blood rushed to her face, painting her skin a delightful shade of pink.

“We need to finish dinner. It’ll be her bedtime before we know it,” Betty said walking toward the stove to finish what Jughead had started.

They sat together as a family and enjoyed dinner. Daisy helped Betty clean the kitchen before getting herself situated for bed.

Betty and Jughead kept their usual schedule after Daisy went to sleep. They’d stay up a few more hours talking, but this time, it was a little different. The air felt different, thick with anticipation. They sat closer together on the porch swing, his arm tucked around her shoulders, her head on his shoulder as they talked.

There was a break in conversation when Jughead shifted to look toward her.

“Why’d you pick that book? The one you had this morning.”

“I’ve read it a few times. There was always something about it that spoke to me; it seems so familiar. I feel like the main character and I are the same person, or she’s some perfect version of me. I know that sounds really stupid, but I always wanted to track down the author to thank them for writing it.”

“How’d the search go for finding the author?”

“Not well, I couldn’t find much. I gave up after a while, figured it was a lost cause,” Betty shrugged.

“I don’t think you have to look to much further.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Let’s just say I had a lifetime with that character. She’s always been an important person to me. I wrote her how I saw her, how I will always see her.”

Betty was confused. She had searched for months for SJJ Guthrie, but every search came up empty.

“Wait.”

“Seth Jonah Jeg Guthrie,” he said raising his hand. “It’s an anagram for Jughead Jones the Third. Who would read a book like that by a person called Jughead?”

Betty couldn’t wrap her head around the information she’d just received. Her go-to book for the last four years was written by her best friend? It all started to make sense, why it seemed so familiar, why the main character resonated so much with her. She was the main character. That is what he had just said, wasn’t it?

She started at him, unsure of what to say. She was in awe.

“I can see why you went with SJJ. The other names are kind of a mouthful,” she finally came up with. She laughed, mostly at herself, but at the situation too.

Jughead didn’t say anything. He simply leaned his head in closer to hers. Their foreheads were touching, their hands clasped together, fingers laced. He took a deep breath in, finally ready to make a move.

“Jug--”

“Hey! I’m glad I caught you guys!” Sweet Pea yelled as he ran up the driveway.

Betty and Jughead both sighed, turning their heads to look toward the figure running up the front steps and planting his feet firmly in front of the swing. Jughead glared at him with the fury of a thousand suns.

Sweet Pea looked at them, comfortable on the porch swing, seeing their entangled limbs, and grimaced.

“Sorry, but we have a slight problem, Jug.”

“And what would that be, Maurice?”

Betty giggled. She knew that Sweet Pea couldn’t be his given name, but she didn’t have the nerve to ask what it actually was.

“Ouch. Okay. I deserved that. You know how V and I were supposed to pick up Dodge from school tomorrow because you’ve got conferences?”

“I am aware of the arrangement, yes.”

“Well, the health inspector is coming to the bar tomorrow. We won’t be able to do it. I can call my mom to see if she can do it or maybe we can work something out with Mr. Chesterfield from next door and--”

“I can do it.” Betty chimed in.

“What?” Both men said simultaneously.

“Let me do it. I feel pretty useless around here anyway. I can pick her up from school. It’ll give us a chance to bond a little.”

“You’re okay with that?” Jughead’s smile had returned upon hearing Betty’s willingness to pick up his daughter. He didn’t want to jinx anything, but he couldn’t think of anything more domestic.

“Yeah. You’re letting me live here. You’re not letting me pay rent. It’s the least I can do.”

“I knew having you around would be great!” Sweet Pea said, walking toward the door.

The three of them laughed as Sweet Pea walked into his side of the split duplex. Jughead turned back to Betty, their hands still firmly clasped together.

“I wouldn’t ask my girlfriend for rent, anyway. Besides, Veronica owns the house. We only pay the taxes every year. It’s nothing the three of us can’t handle.”

Betty blushed at hearing him refer to her as his girlfriend for the first time.

“Wow, that was weird,” Jughead started. “I’ve been waiting for fifteen years to say something like that.” His blush matched hers.

“What? That you only pay the taxes on your house?” she teased, bumping her shoulder into his.

They made their way upstairs to bed after a short while longer talking outside. Betty headed toward her bedroom, more out of habit than anything, but she didn’t want to presume anything of their new situation.

Jughead caught her wrist as they turned toward their separate rooms. “Hey. You can come sleep in here tonight, if you want.”

“I think you owe me a proper date first, Mr. Jones. What kind of girl do you think I am?” she teased, pulling him in for a hug. “Good night, Jug.”

“Good night, darlin’.”

\--

Jughead went to work the next morning as scheduled, calling Daisy’s school on the way to inform them of the change in her pick up.

Betty spent her day cleaning the house and thinking of something she could do with Daisy when they got home from school. She had gotten texts from Jughead throughout the day, checking in to make sure she was okay, and because he’d genuinely missed her. He’d said as much.

With more than enough time to spare, Betty climbed into her SUV and set off to pick up Daisy from school. After only three wrong turns, she made it with five minutes to spare. She waited in the line of cars with the other parents picking up their children.

She looked toward her right to see Daisy running toward the vehicle. Betty placed her hand on her abdomen, tears welling in her eyes at a thought she’d tried to avoid for years.

 

\--

_“I think I’m pregnant,” she told her boyfriend._

_It was early in their relationship. He was the first person she tried to date after Jughead left her behind. She had missed her period. She hadn’t taken a test yet, but she didn’t feel like her usual self. Something was different._

_“Let’s not talk about it until we know for sure, okay?”_

_Betty nodded. That wasn’t how she thought it was going to go. She called the local OB-GYN to make an appointment for the following day. She’d been meaning to find a new gynecologist anyway._

_She sat with her legs swinging over the edge of the uncomfortable vinyl table. She had explained to the doctor that she was more than two weeks late for her period. Dr. Gunderson promptly asked if it would be okay if they did a blood test, as it would have been too early for anything to appear on an internal sonogram. Betty gave her permission and his assistant prepared an IV with four different colored tubes for her blood._

_After almost thirty minutes of waiting, Dr. Gunderson came back, rifling through what looked like test results._

_“Well, you’re not pregnant, Miss Cooper.” Betty let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t nearly ready to be a mother._

_She went home to tell her boyfriend and resumed her usual schedule. A week later, she got a phone call from the doctor, and went back to his office confused._

_“We ran some tests last week, Miss Cooper. This is going to be difficult to hear, but you can’t have children of your own.” Betty’s mind flooded, the new information whirling around and blocking out any subsequent conversation from the doctor._

_“I can’t have kids?” Betty asked, tears in her eyes. She may not have been ready at that particular moment, but she’d always wanted kids of her own._

_She was handed pamphlets on PCOS and uterine fibroids as she checked out at the reception desk, along with additional reading material on adoption, fostering and surrogacy. It was a lot for her to process. She still wasn’t sure what to think._

\--

 

Daisy climbed into the backseat and slammed the door.

“How was school today, Dodge?”

“It was good. We got a new reading assignment, but I didn’t have the heart to tell my teacher that I already read the book.” She shrugged, buckling herself in.

“Dad’s got conferences today, so he’s gonna be home late. Uncle Sweets and Aunt V are busy with work, too. Did you have an idea of what you wanted to do tonight?”

“I’m sure whatever you came up with will be great,” Daisy said, chipper as always.

“How about we have a girls night in? We can watch your favorite movie, and I’ll make us some dinner, and you can talk about whatever you want.”

“Or. We can do that stuff, but instead, can we go to the diner?”

“I don’t see why not. You ready to rock and roll?” Daisy nodded her head from the backseat and off they went.

Betty and Daisy went home to set their plan in motion. Betty insisted that Daisy do at least half on her homework before leaving for the diner. She complied easily. She had texted Jughead to keep him aware of their plans, letting him know they’d be out together if for whatever reason he was home early enough.

After her homework, they set off to a small diner only a few blocks from the house.

“Me and Dad come here sometimes. He says it reminds him of Pop’s or something like that.” Daisy said as she sipped her milkshake.

“He’s not wrong.” Betty laughed. She had the same thought walking into the establishment. The vinyl seats were black instead of red, definitely more updated, but still had that retro feel to it. There was one thing Betty knew for sure, and that was that this diner’s milkshakes didn’t hold a candle to one of Pop’s.

“So, tell me something about you that I don’t know,” Betty prompted.

“Uh. I don’t know, like what?”

“Whatever you want.”

Daisy looked down the straw into her half empty milkshake glass. Her face twitched, trying to think of something to tell Betty that wasn’t her favorite color. Daisy was pretty sure Betty knew it was green.

“Um.” She paused. “I get teased a lot.”

“Teased how?” Betty was curious. She was expecting her favorite book or school subject.

“Cause I don’t have a mom. Every year, the school does a mother-child dance, and Dad’s the only man there. Everyone in my class has two parents and they tease me because I don’t. They say stuff like, ‘She probably ran away because she doesn’t love you,’ or that my dad only takes care of me because he _has_ to.”

Betty didn’t know what to say. She thought about it for a while, searching her brain for what she’d say to herself in a situation like this.

“Well, I can assure you, as someone who has known your dad almost his whole life, if he didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t. He loves you so much. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, but sometimes, it’s hard. Kids are mean.”

“I know they can be mean, but you can’t let them get you down. He loves you more than anything. He always will. I know sometimes he can be a little grumpy, but you’re his world.” Daisy smiled at her reassurance. “And besides, I grew up with both parents and it wasn’t all that great. The kids in your class would be lucky to have a dad like Jughead.”

“He is pretty great, huh?”

“The greatest.”

They finished their meals, switching the topic to something less heavy. They made their way home to start _Matilda._ Betty had loved that movie growing up and was happy to watch it again with Daisy. They were about three quarters of the way through the movie when Jughead came home.

He walked into the living room to find Betty on the couch in her pajamas, a blanket draped over her lap, and Daisy curled into her side, seemingly asleep with her head in Betty’s lap. He approached quietly, taking his cell phone from his pocket to snap a photo of his two favorite ladies.

Betty looked over to him when she heard the shutter of his phone camera.

“Hey, you’re home,” she whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping child next to her. It was rapidly approaching her bedtime, anyway.

“Now this is a sight I could get used to.” He walked toward them, leaning down to kiss Betty on the top of her head. He picked Daisy up from the couch and tucked her in bed before rejoining Betty.

“How was your afternoon?”

“Honestly, it was really nice. I liked spending time alone with Daisy. She’s brilliant. Not that I expected anything less from your daughter.” Betty smiled.

“She’s pretty great.”

“The greatest.”

There was an extended silence, the pair sitting and enjoying each other’s company.

“So, let me ask you something.”

“What’s that, Jug?” Betty turned toward him, her hands falling into her lap. She could see his foot twitching in her peripheral vision. It was something he always did when he was nervous.

“What would you say if I asked you on a date for Saturday.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She mocked a horrified face, but couldn’t contain her smile. “I would say, it only took you fifteen years to ask.”

“Good. Saturday, you’re all mine.”

“What about Daisy?”

“She’s gonna be at her grandmother’s house until Sunday midday.”

Jughead leaned in, his nose brushing against her cheek, which was warm from the blush that had erupted when he asked. Their lips were a breath a part and his eyes fluttered shut.

“Dad?” he heard from upstairs.

“Son of a bitch!” Jughead muttered, eliciting a giggle and wide smile from Betty.

“What’s up, Dodge? You should be sleeping.”

“I couldn’t get comfortable.”

“Try harder,” he whispered to himself. “I’ll be up in a minute, I’ll tuck you in again.”

“Can Betty do it?”

“You heard the girl. She wants you.” Jughead laughed. He wasn’t used to having help, aside from the occasional appearance from Sweet Pea and Veronica. He should have felt slighted, but he didn’t. He was ecstatic that Daisy had taken to Betty so quickly.

“I don’t know, Jug. What do I do?”

“Just talk to her. Sometimes she’ll ask me to read to her, but she hasn’t done that in a while.”

Betty got up off the couch, using Jughead’s shoulder for leverage. She made her way up the stairs and into Daisy’s bedroom. She didn’t see Jughead for the rest of the night.

The following day, she’d woken up to a series of texts from Jughead.

_Jughead: Good morning, beautiful._

_Jughead: I’m sorry we got cut off last night._

_Jughead: I hope she wasn’t too much of a hassle for you._

_Jughead: I can’t wait to come home to spend time with you._

She smiled like an idiot reading the messages. It had been so long since she’d woken up to something so wonderful, despite her last relationship only ending just before she uprooted her life to Louisiana.

She replied quickly that she was awake and was going to find something to do for the day. She set out with no destination in mind, but made her way to the center of town to see what it had to offer. She hadn’t explored much since making Baton Rouge her home.

After parking her car, she stumbled upon a thrift store wedged between a coffee shop and a pizza place. She walked throughout the store, her fingers grazing the items that were once loved by someone else, ready to be loved by another. She took the time to look through the books, finding early editions of her favorite books she already had too many copies of.

It made her think about Jughead. They loved each other once, maybe even still. Why couldn’t they find a new home with one another? She knew for sure she still loved him, but the question remained if he still loved her. She was sure it wouldn’t be long before she found out.

She made her way back home in time to meet Jughead and Daisy on their way in from their day.

“Well, hello gorgeous,” Jughead said, taking the bags from her hands and opening the door.

“How was school today, Dodge?”

“Eh, the usual.” She shrugged and ran inside to sit at the dining room table, as she usually did. Betty frowned wondering if by _the usual_ she meant that the kids were teasing her again.

They followed their usual routine for the remainder of the night and into the following two days until Saturday finally arrived. Betty and Jughead were set to have their first official date. He wouldn’t tell her what he had planned, he’d simply just said, _don’t worry about it_.

Betty was growing increasingly frustrated. Every time she and Jughead were about to kiss, something took their attention away from it. It started with Sweet Pea’s interruption, then Daisy’s. The following night it was Veronica, then a phone call from Mrs. Reynolds. At this point, Betty was certain she’d never be able to have her first kiss with Jughead.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she was putting so much pressure on it. Maybe it was because it was something she’d wanted for the past fifteen years. Maybe it was because of the slow build up over the last few weeks of living with Jughead. Whatever it was, she couldn’t wait, and she hoped they wouldn’t be thwarted again.

They dropped off Daisy at her grandmother’s house with plenty of hugs and kisses goodbye. As she ran up the driveway, Jughead turned to Betty and smiled. He put the car in reverse and they were on their way to their first official date.

They pulled up a short time later to the planetarium. They paid their admission fee and wandered around, looking at the different exhibits hand in hand. Their final stop was a small room, just big enough for a handful of people. It was dark, with a small touchpad in the far corner that was dimly lit.

“What’s this, Jug?”

“You’ll see.” Jughead went over to the touchpad, pressed a few buttons and before he was back to Betty, the room was illuminated with a series of stars and constellations. “I figured since the universe has denied us, I’d make it happen myself.”

He stood in front of her, his hand snaked behind her blonde curls, fingers pressing lightly into the back of her neck. He looked up at the stars surrounding them and laughed to himself. He pressed their foreheads together. Their eyes connected for a split second before hers fluttered closed, waiting.

“This is where this should have happened,” Jughead whispered. Then, he kissed her on the lips.

The gentle pressure of his lips against hers made her heart hammer in her chest, fighting to break free and take up residence in Jughead’s hands, where it had metaphorically lived for longer than she was willing to admit out loud. They broke apart briefly, eyes still closed, and then her lips were on his again.

He pulled away this time, moving his hands down to her waist and looking up.

“It’s the stars above Sweetwater River.”

\--

They ventured home after stopping for a late lunch to cap off their first day out as a couple. They settled in for the night on the couch, wrapped in each others arms.

“Did you have a good day, Juggie?” Betty whispered into Jughead’s neck. Her breath fanned over his skin and she felt him shiver. It had been so long since she’d called him that, it almost felt foreign on her tongue. _Almost._

“Did you?” he asked while nodding, his lips ghosting over her hairline. He cupped her cheek, pulling her face up toward his. He kissed down her face starting at her forehead until he got to her lips.

The butterflies in her stomach flapped overzealously at each press of his lips. She felt the warmth in her body travel from her cheeks to her chest. She felt his tongue swipe tentatively at her bottom lip, begging for entrance after the third pass. The corner of her lip turned up into a small smile when she finally gave him what he’d wanted.

They stayed like that, kissing languidly, uninterrupted, for what could have been an eternity, but didn’t feel like near enough time. She didn’t want to break the kiss, but she needed a minute to breath. Hesitantly, she pulled away from him, refilling her lungs with the oxygen she’d gladly go without if she got to kiss Jughead like that again.

She yawned, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

“Oh, I’m sorry, do I bore you?” Jughead laughed, teasing a small patch of bare skin on her shoulder.

She slapped his chest playfully before adjusting herself in his lap, her knees on either side of his thighs. She nudged her nose against his, eyes closed. His hands found purchase on her hips, his grip gentle at first. When Betty connected their lips again, he pulled her closer.

Her hands toyed with his collar, the hair at the base of his neck. Her fingers traced small patterns into his scalp. His hips bucked into hers as she continued to scrawl mindlessly, their tongues intertwining. Her breath hitched when he pressed himself into her gently.

His hands wandered under her shirt to her waist, thumbs smoothing against her ribcage, the tips lightly grazing the underwire of her bra.

She pressed her chest into his, reveling in the feeling of his bare hands on her in places she’d only ever dreamed. It was nearly enough in that moment that she was sure to embarrass herself if they didn’t stop.

As if the universe heard her thoughts, a swift knock came upon the door. Betty’s head fell to Jughead’s shoulder, her breathing labored, both cursing and thanking god for the interruption.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jughead whispered after a long, agitated groan.

Betty climbed off his lap and headed for the stairs.

“Where are you going?”

“Pajamas.”

He nodded and made his way to the door, adjusting himself in his jeans. He propped his hands against the door jam and opened the door, just enough to see who was there.

“I might actually kill you, Sweets. What do you want?” Jughead halfjoked.

“I wanted to see if you wanted to come hang with us. We know you’re kid free tonight.”

“I kinda already have plans. That you interrupted. Again.” Jughead’s jaw was set, irritated at Sweet Pea’s timing. “Is that all you wanted?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Jughead went to close the door, but before he could, Sweet Pea’s foot caught the door. “So, you and Betty, huh?”

“We are _not_ doing this right now.” Jughead laughed and kicked Sweet Pea’s foot out of the doorway, finally able to shut it fully. He bolted the door for good measure and settled himself back on the couch, a smile on his face.

Betty came back down the stairs a few minutes later. Gone were her jeans and cardigan, replaced with a black cheerleading shorts and a cutoff t shirt. The strap of her bralette peeked through where the shirt hung off her shoulder.

Jughead swallowed, the air suddenly thick and supercharged. He watched her walk into the kitchen, coming back only moments later with a glass of water in her hand.

“I was thinking of going to bed. It’s getting kind of late, no?”

“Is that my shirt?”

“Good night, Jughead,” she teased, walking back up the stairs, an extra sway in her hips.

He laughed to himself. It was getting late, maybe she had a point. He went up a short time later, brushed his teeth and stripped down to his boxers. He was about to lay down when there was a faint knock at his bedroom door.

Betty poked her head in and smiled, seeing him with a bare chest and only his boxers did unimaginable things to her body. She slid into his room, clicking the door shut quietly and pressing her back into it, her hands pressed into the small of her back. Jughead’s eyebrows rocketed to his hairline. She wrinkled her nose before chuckling under her breath.

“I knew you still did that thing with your nose,” Jughead whispered. He walked over to her, torturously slow. He could see her breathing becoming erratic, could nearly see the outline of her heart as it beat furiously in her chest. He placed one hand in the space next to her head, leaning down, deliberately fanning his hot breath over her lips. “Hi.”

“H-hey. I, um.”

“You um, what?” His voice was dangerously low, lower than she ever remember it from a decade ago. Her knees began to buckle.

“I just wanted to let you know,” she swallowed hard, trying to get her bearings, “that this is, in fact your shirt.” Her words came out breathier than she intended, but she was unable to control herself, it seemed.

They’d kissed downstairs, nothing more than a little bit of touching, but she wanted more. Betty had never been more turned on in her life, but it was all still very new. She and Jughead, while having a lifetime of feelings for one another, had only just started dating. She wanted to savor the beginnings of the new relationship and everything that meant.

He didn’t say anything, just ran his nose over her cheek, nearing her ear, letting his warm breath fan across the shell of her ear before he spoke again.

“I thought you said you were going to bed.” His voice was still low, almost gravely. Betty clenched her thighs together, praying she’d get the friction she wanted.

“I changed my mind,” she whispered, leaning her head into his, wanting to feel his warmth all over. “Besides, you said I could sleep in here if I wanted.”

He hummed in her ear, the reverberation echoing through her body like a cavern waiting to be explored.

“Unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“I would never change my mind about something like that.”

His tongue flicked out of his mouth and onto the lobe of her ear, gently, just enough for her to know it was there. His hand, that hand been dangling at his side, twitching with anticipation, ran up her thigh and settled at her hip, pulling her forward.

She used her hands to push off the door, further into his chest, wanting to be closer to him.

“So, let’s go to bed.” she said with a playful wink. She wandered toward his bed, taking the same spot she had earlier in the week, the side she presumed he didn’t sleep on. She sat cross legged in the spot, staring back at Jughead, eyes wide, shining bright in the low light of the room.

He waited, long enough to make her fidget in her spot, long enough to make sure they wouldn’t be interrupted, again. He walked back to his bed, painfully slow, stretching as he did, his muscles flexing and contorting as he moved.

It wasn’t the first time Betty had seen him near naked. They had been friends their entire lives, it was an inevitability.

Jughead stared at Betty, sitting in his bed, in her small shorts, in _his_ shirt, and licked his lips. He wanted to savor this time with Betty, the newness of their relationship. The last time he’d rushed into anything, it resulted in his daughter. Obviously, he had no regrets about Daisy, but if he had the patience then, things would be different. He would exercise that patience now.

He plopped down on his bed unceremoniously, clicked the light off, and turned to face her.

“Good night, Betty,” he said, leaving Betty sitting up, eyebrows furrowed together. She slid down the bed, and turned to face him.

“Where’s my goodnight kiss?” She inched closer to him.

He placed his lips to her forehead quickly before flipping to his back, his arm outstretched as an invitation to come closer. She nuzzled her way into the empty space and sighed. This is where she always wanted to be.

He drew lazy circles on her exposed shoulder where her, or rather his, shirt slipped down. She felt her eyes heavy with sleep, her body wound up from the intensity of their teasing. She hummed in contentment, not entirely sure the last time she was so comfortable laying in bed with someone else.

She dragged her fingers over his chest, circling his puzzle piece tattoo, when it all finally made sense.

“This could have happening for years if we both weren’t so afraid,” Jughead whispered.

“But what if this is better?” she asked, eyes finally closing, letting sleep overtake her.

The next morning, she woke up with Jughead’s arm against her stomach, hand splayed and pulling her into him, his mouth pressing delicate kisses to her bare shoulder. She shifted against him, feeling him against the small of her back, already hard.

“Good morning to you, too,” she said, her voice still drenched in sleep. “Sleep okay?”

“Best I’ve gotten in years,” he said, his mouth still pressing kisses to her shoulder. She felt his smile as he did, feeling his words against her skin, goosebumps erupting over every inch.

She turned to face him, their eyes connecting. His arm was still draped over her waist, his fingers now toying with the edge of her shirt, lightly grazing the skin under it. She leaned in to kiss his cheek.

He turned his head quickly, their lips locking together. It started off sweet, but soon hung a left into a steamy part of town. He pulled her closer to him, their chests joined together, hips slightly misaligned.

She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing the curl that never wanted to stay in its place out of his face when they pulled apart. His hand was still playing with the hem of her shirt. She raised an eyebrow at him, curious to see if he’d do anything about it.

He still knew how to read her, still knew the subtle nuances of her facial expressions, even over a decade later. He joined their lips together again, his hand making its way up the back of her shirt, swiping her waist and slowly but surely inching his way up toward her chest. He stopped when he felt the fabric of whatever she was wearing underneath.

He slowly pushed the fabric of her t shirt up and over her head, revealing the navy blue bralette, lace trimming the bottom and the tops of her breasts. His mouth went dry. Of course he’d seen her in a swimsuit in their younger years, but nothing would ever beat the sight of Betty Cooper, half naked, in his bed, eyes begging him to kiss her again.

His fingers ran down the thin straps at her shoulders, down her back. His hand splayed between her shoulder blades, pulling her in for a searing kiss. It started with the same intensity it left off with. Betty’s body shifted against him, feeling his erection firmly against her thigh.

Her fingers ran down his sides, attempting to trace the petals of his tattoo, eventually moving to his stomach. Feeling his muscles contract under her touch was invigorating.

It was the most skin they’d ever had touching at the same time. Something about the heat radiating off of his body was killing her. His hands moved slowly down her back, bypassing her ass and moving on to the backs of her thighs. His thumbs grazed gently, just under the bottom of her dangerously short shorts.

With only a little bit of force, he hauled her up and into his lap as he moved flat to his back, his head propped by a few pillows. She squealed at the unexpected transfer of positions, but it wasn’t all around unpleasant. She could feel him between her thighs, only a few layers of cotton separating them.

He looked up at her in amazement. He still couldn’t get over having her in his bed, in a position like this, even as innocent as it was, he knew it would eventually lead somewhere else. She flicked her hair back from in front of her shoulder and off to the side. She leaned down painfully slowly as she watched Jughead’s eyes widen.

The blue of his eyes was getting darker by the second. He watched as Betty leaned down, her chest nearly in his face before she adjusted herself to kiss him again. Their chests pressed together firmly, tongues continuing to explore before he pulled away to start at her neck. It was gentle at first, a light graze of his teeth on her ear, then a small flick of his tongue just behind it. He laid warm, open mouth kisses as he traveled down from her ear to her neck, eventually finding a home at her collarbone. He licked the small divot there, listening to her breath hitch in his ear.

If she reacted to him like that, only doing this, he couldn’t imagine how anything further would go, but he couldn’t wait to find out.

She shifted her hips against his arousal, eliciting a low groan from him into her neck. His hands were at her lower back, slowly working their way down to the curve of her ass. He gave a tentative, light squeeze. She responded with a hip thrust. Taking his cue, he did it again with the same result.

She broke their kiss, pushing against his chest to sit up straight, her hips still slightly moving against him. She scooped her hair up from the back of her neck and took a deep breath.

Jughead continued to stare up at her, like she was the rarest painting to ever grace the earth, her skin painted in shades of pink, covered in blue lace only for him to see. She smiled down at him, her eyes bouncing between his eyes, his lips, his chest tattoo.

She pulled herself off of him to stop things from progressing too quickly. She curled back into his side, not wanting to face the real world yet, but she knew sooner or later, they’d have to.

“What if you stayed in here every night?” Jughead asked, tucking her wild blonde hair behind her ear.

“I think we can work something out.” She kissed him again, short and sweet.

“Are you coming with me to pick up Dodge?”

“I don’t see why not.”

They stayed in bed a little while longer, until Betty was finally forced to get up. It wasn’t that she wanted to, but when nature calls, you answer.

“No. Come back. It’s too early to start the day,” Jughead whined, reaching out into the empty space in front of him.

“I’ll be right back. Stop being dramatic.” She slipped out the door, and returned moments later, her hair up in a messy bun, teeth brushed, but still in her pajamas.

She returned to her place in Jughead’s arms as they continued to talk about their plans for the following week.

It didn’t take long for their new routine to work itself out. Drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms, waking up with hushed conversations in the still of the morning before Jughead left for work. Daisy couldn’t have been more excited to see her father so happy.

One night, a few more weeks into their newest arrangements, Jughead was working late, trying to finish grading an exam before coming home. He wasn’t much for bringing work home with him. Betty had made dinner, as she normally did, quizzing Daisy on her vocabulary for a test the next day.

In the middle of her word list, Daisy stood from her place at the dining room table and joined Betty in the kitchen. She stood there, hands on her hips, black curls tucked behind her ear. Betty turned around, ready to shout the next word to her over the sizzle of the frying pan, but startled upon seeing her behind her.

“Dinner will be ready soon, Dodge. You finish your homework?”

Daisy didn’t respond. She stood there, staring at Betty, face flat, eyes leaving nothing to be read. She was just like her father, sometimes.

“Dodge, you alright?”

She nodded slowly, a smile creeping up to her lips. She stared a little while longer before finally speaking again.

“Y’know, I’ve been thinking,” she started. Betty raised her eyebrows, confused. She turned down the heat on the stove and turned to give Daisy her full attention. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making my dad the happiest I’ve ever seen him.” Betty blushed. “I’m serious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile this much.”

“Well, I care about your father very much. I always have.”

“You love him, don’t you?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that.” Betty turned back to the stove to finish making dinner, a wide spread grin across her face.

If Jughead’s ten year old daughter could tell that she loved him, he probably could, too. She’d loved him since they were sixteen years old. Now, even at thirty, half her life later, he still gave her butterflies in her stomach and a slow, burning ache a little lower.

\--

Jughead walked through the door and his ear were assaulted by the sound of his girls giggling across the house. If he could walk into the door to that sounds everyday, he wouldn’t be angry. He walked toward the sound to find Betty and Daisy in the middle of a tickle war.

“And what is going on in here?” he asked in mock horror. His hands were planted on his hips, a wide grin spread from ear to ear.

“Well, you see,” Betty started, her voice still full of laughter, “Dodge here, tried to tell me she wasn’t ticklish. I called her bluff.” Betty’s fingers still ran rampant over Daisy’s ribcage, her laughter turning to shrieks of joy.

“Alright, you two. That’s enough.” Jughead said wiggling his way in between the pair, effectively separating them.

The laughter subsided enough for the girls to give Jughead a proper hello. Daisy flopped herself over Jughead’s lap as Betty pressed her lips into his cheek.

Betty took in the picture before her, the man she’d spent her life loving, and his daughter, the girl she’d learned to care for the past few months. She never thought she would have a family, but as it turned out, she had one right here, for as long as they’d have her.

As the months continued and the rapidly approaching holidays in their midst, Betty integrating in their family traditions near seamlessly, even adding in a few new ones of her own. She had always loved baking cookies with her mother for the holidays. She’d asked Jughead if it was okay if she could do that with Daisy. He happily agreed, loving the sound of having fresh baked goods in the house.

Daisy was excited to have a woman to do these kinds of activities with, someone to take her out shopping, to talk about embarrassing things with, just having a female perspective, a mother figure.

On Christmas Eve, after dinner, clean up and family time, Daisy made her way upstairs at her bedtime, even though she claimed not the be tired. She asked if Betty would read the next chapter of her book to her while she got ready for bed.

She claimed she liked it when Betty read to her, _she did the voices_. She lay snuggled under her blankets, facing Betty. She watched as Betty’s eyes widened and her face contorted while reading, her voice so full of emotion. They got the end of the chapter too soon for Daisy’s liking, but she knew she’d be pushing it if she asked for another.

“Alright, kiddo. Bedtime. And when you wake up, it’ll be Christmas.”

Daisy nodded slowly, her eyes fluttering closed as sleep was about to overtake her. Betty was at her bedroom door and turned back when she heard Daisy’s tired voice speak again.

“Good night, Betty. I love you.”

Betty froze, eyes wide, hand still on the door knob. Tears were forming in her eyes faster than she’d ever anticipated. Her free hand clutched at her heart as it beat nearly out of her chest. Jughead hadn’t even said it yet, she knew it, but he hasn’t said it.

“Love you, too, munchkin,” she whispered into the dark to a now sleeping Daisy.

Betty stood there for another minute, watching as she slept. She let herself out quietly and wandered back down the stairs, tears still in her eyes. They hadn’t fallen yet, but they would any second.

When she went back into the living room, the lights were dim and Jughead was sitting on the couch, his leg bent next to him. There were two glasses of wine on the coffee table in front of him, the television queued to her favorite Christmas movie.

It had been their tradition when they were younger. They’d spend Christmas Eve together, alternating Christmas movies each year. She couldn’t believe he’d remembered. She certainly hadn’t forgotten. The tears had finally broken past her lids and trickled down her cheeks. She was so incredibly happy.

“What’s this?” The tears in her eyes prevented her from speaking above a whisper.

“Tradition,” he said simply with a shrug. “Why are you crying? Hey.”

Betty made her way to sit next to him on the couch. She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. She kissed the top of his hand as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks.

“This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

“It hasn’t even happened yet.” Jughead was confused.

“I know, but,” she paused, trying to figure out the best way to phrase what she was about to say. “Ten years ago, I didn’t think this is where I’d be, with you, with your daughter. A family.”

“Me, either.”

“No. Jughead, you don’t understand,” she said, tears still streaming. “After my parents died, I didn’t think I’d ever have a family Christmas again.”

“Of course you would, darling.”

“Jug. No. I--” one breath, then two, three, “-- I can’t have kids. There was never going to be a family in my future--” He cut her off.

“What do you mean?”

“I found out a year or two after you left. I can’t have children of my own. It took me a long time, but I’ve finally come to terms with it. I didn’t expect to ever have a family, but then you and Daisy. She told me she loves me, Jug.” Her voice was quiet on the last words she spoke.

“You, she what?” Jughead’s eyes were wide, glassy with tears to match Betty’s.

“She was falling asleep and then she said _good night, Betty. I love you._ ”

“Well, how could she not?” His hand reached for her face, thumb wiping her fallen tears.

“I’m serious, Jug. I just never thought I’d have this, and I do, well, kind of. It’s still a little like playing house.”

Jughead sat shaking his head, a small smirk on his face as he licked the front of his teeth in frustration.

“What?”

“Brat stole my thunder.” She blinked at him rapidly, not fully understanding what he meant. “I was saving it for tonight. I was going to tell you once she was asleep and we had our time. She stole my thunder.”

Betty had no words, new tears brewing behind her eyes.

“I have been hopelessly in love with you for fifteen years, Betty Cooper. And I know that life took us away from each other, but I am so grateful that it has brought us back together. I am so incredibly happy you are here, and if I have anything to say about it, you’ll never be anywhere but with us again.”

Betty lurched forward, throwing her arms around his neck, nearly knocking his backward. She pulled away and looked him square in the eyes.

“For as long as I could remember, it has been Betty and Jughead, inseparable best friends. Then you were gone, and it was like half of me was missing. I haven’t felt more like myself until the day I looked into your eyes again. I love you, Jughead Jones. I don’t ever wanna be just Betty again.”

He crashed his lips into hers, their kiss both delicate and searing, innocent and fueled by desire. She wasn’t sure how it could have been all those things at once, but it was. It was fifteen years of love and desire pulled into one scorching, ice kiss.

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe this is the best Christmas ever.” Jughead smiled against her neck, still holding her tight, not wanting to break their contact.

“Now, on with tradition,” Betty decided, swiping the wine glasses from the table and pressing play on the movie.

\--

Time from then on moved quickly. Before they knew it, it was nearing the end of the school year for Jughead and Daisy. Betty had found work at a local shop part time to keep herself busy, but if she was being honest with herself, she enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom of sorts.

Every year, Daisy’s class had a mother-child dance. Every year, she’d be made fun of for going with Jughead. It wasn’t that Daisy was embarrassed of having a single dad, but she didn’t understand why the other kids thought it was out of the ordinary.

Daisy was helping Betty clean the kitchen after dinner one night, washing the dishes when she turned off the water and turned to face Betty.

“Hey, Betty?”

“What’s up, Dodge?”

“Um. Would you wanna come to the mother-child dance with me this year?”

“Don’t you normally go with your dad to that?”

“Yeah, but this year, I have you.” Daisy said walking up to Betty, snaking her arms around her waist into a hug.

Betty ran her hands through Daisy’s hair, her heart so full, she wasn’t sure what to do.

“You’ve been like a mom to me since you got here. You never looked at me like someone else’s kid. You’ve treated me like I was yours. I kind of wish that I was. I never had a mom before, but I think it’s something like this.” Daisy said, her face still pressed against Betty’s abdomen in a hug.

“I don’t ever want to replace your mom, Dodge. I know I never can, even if you didn’t know her.”

“Dad has told me about you since I can remember. It was always stories of you guys from when you were kids or in college. I feel like I’ve known you my whole life, and now you’re here, and you’re better than I thought you’d be.”

“You know, for a ten year old, you’re pretty smart.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“Well, you’re half Jughead, so that doesn’t surprise me.” She laughed to herself. “When is this dance of yours?”

“Next Friday night. Does that mean you’re gonna come with me?”

“I would love to, but I think that means we need to venture out to get you a dress that fits you. And before you ask, yes, you can wear your chucks with it.” Betty winked.

Daisy wasn’t particularly girly, but she did like to dress up, as long as she had her trusty, worn-in chucks on her feet. Betty wouldn’t try to change her; she was perfect as she was.

\--

The day of the dance was there before they knew it. They went out to find new clothes earlier that week, and luckily each found something they liked without too much effort. Betty let Daisy pick their outfits, and the little girl was over the moon. Daisy’s choice wasn’t necessarily what Betty would have picked, but whatever Daisy wanted.

She styled them each with a red plaid top and a black leather skirt, Betty’s a pencil style and hers a circle that flowed and twirled with her. They each wore black and white chucks, their hair styled down with a natural curl.

They didn’t show Jughead what they were planning until the night of, when he would see them off. Without even knowing, he matched his girls. He sat on the couch in black jeans and his own pair of chucks, black t shirt and red flannel wrapped around his waist. Sweet Pea was sitting next to him, waiting until they could leave for the night they had planned while the girls were out.

They came down the stairs hand in hand, ready to show themselves off to Jughead. His mouth flew open. He looked down at himself and chuckled.

“Well, if this doesn’t scream family portrait, I don’t know what does,” Sweet Pea said, standing off the couch, reaching for his phone in his front pants pocket.

Jughead joined the girls by the stairs, his eyes filled with unfiltered joy. When Betty had told Jughead about Daisy asking her to go to the dance, his heart swelled. This was all he had ever wanted-- a family with Betty. He finally had it. He was sure nothing could take her from him, not over his dead body.

“You both look beautiful. Who’s handy work is this?” he asked, tipping Daisy’s chin up to look at him.

“Mine. That way it’s kind of like you’re with us. Betty did my hair. Isn’t it pretty?”

“Gorgeous, as always, Dodge. And you,” he said turning to Betty. “Thank you for this,” he whispered in her ear.

Betty looked at him curiously as she saw a lone tear rush down his cheek. She pulled him in for a hug.

“Dodge, stand in between them on the bottom step. Jug, stand next to Betty,” Sweet Pea instructed.

They followed suit and he came to stand in front of them, focusing on the small screen in his hands, framing the picture perfectly. He took a few shots. The first of them smiling. The second with Betty and Jughead sharing a kiss and Daisy looking up at them. The third with Betty and Jughead squatting next to Daisy making the silliest faces they could.

“There.”

“Our first family picture,” Daisy said, her voice more excited than it had been in a while. “Hey, dad, can I ask you something, but in the kitchen?”

Betty and Jughead exchanged looks, but ultimately, he followed her into the kitchen.

“What’s this about, Daisy Olivia?

“I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I asked Betty if I could call her mom.”

Jughead’s throat went dry. He wished Betty was Daisy’s biological mother, but he was too afraid to make that happen. But even if he hadn’t been, it would have never come to be. Betty couldn’t have children.

“Is that something that you want?”

“More than anything. I love her, dad. You love her. We’re a family, right?”

“That’s right, kiddo.”

“So it’s okay if I ask her?”

“Of course.”

Daisy threw her arms around her father and kissed his cheek. She told him they’d see him later at the diner after the dance.

She joined Betty back in the living room, saying goodbye to Sweet Pea on the way out. They were buckled into the car and well on their way to Daisy’s school when Daisy broached the subject.

“Can I ask you something?” Her voice was small, almost afraid to speak.

“Anything. You know that.”

“Erm. I was wondering if, maybe, if it’s okay with you, that uh--”, she swallowed, her mouth dry, more nervous than she thought she’d be. She didn’t finish the thought.

“If it’s okay with me, what?” Betty prompted. She had no idea where the line of questioning was going, but she wanted to find out.

“Can I call you mom?” she blurted out.

Betty nearly slammed on the breaks in shock. She knew that Daisy loved her, she had been saying as much for months now, but this she didn’t expect.

“If that’s something you want to try,” she said cautiously as if she were talking about trying a new dish at a restaurant.

“It is.” She said almost sheepishly. “Dad said if it was what I wanted, I could ask you.”

“And what would you like me to call you?” She glanced in the rearview mirror to look at Daisy, who was fidgeting with the laces on her sneakers. She made it a habit to sit with her legs crossed, her knees at either side of her hips, skirt tucked between her legs.

“What do you mean?” she half mumbled, still focused on her sneakers.

“Do you know how when we were out shopping last week and someone complimented me on my beautiful daughter?” She nodded. “That’s what I mean.”

“You can call me your daughter, if you want to. I know I’m not, but it doesn’t feel that way.”

They pulled up to the school, Betty parking her SUV in the row of sedans behind the building. She got out of the car and walked to the passenger door, opening it for her to hop down. After the door was closed behind her, Betty placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder, stopping her before she continued forward.

“It would be an honor to call you my daughter. I’d be the luckiest person in the world.” Betty smiled down at her, eventually bending down and opening her arms, waiting for a hug. What she got was a near tackle.

They walked into the dance hand in hand, in all their matching glory. Daisy introduced Betty to her teachers and classmates, as well as their parents. The night went famously, and before long, it was time to leave to meet Jughead at the diner.

They pulled up and parked next to Jughead’s car; he was already inside waiting for them. When they took their seats, Daisy sat next to Betty instead of taking her usual seat next to Jughead, not wanting to leave her side.

“Did you two have a nice time at the dance?”

“The best time,” Daisy said, nearly bouncing in her seat, still brimming with excitement.

Betty, Jughead, and Daisy sat and enjoyed their meal, forgetting they were matching, forgetting they weren’t a _real_ family, by societal standards. And older woman walked passed their table, taking a second look as Betty laughed, wiping a smear of milkshake of off Daisy’s nose.

“What a beautiful family you are,” she said, her voice shaking in her old age.

Daisy smiled wide, giggling as Betty finished helping her with the milkshake mishap. Betty looked to Jughead, her smile growing. Just as it looked like Jughead was going to say something, Betty cut in.

“Thank you. We really are, aren’t we?”

Jughead couldn’t attempted to hide his smile. He didn’t think his life in that moment could get better, but it had.

\--

Two years had gone by faster than anyone had anticipated. It wasn’t without drama or fanfare, but it still went by in the blink of an eye. Betty and Jughead were in a great place with their relationship, and Daisy was about to start high school at a young thirteen, having skipped seventh grade entirely.

Just before the school year started, Betty had been out school supply shopping for Daisy, who was home with Jughead after he insisted he needed her home to run some ideas passed her for his upcoming lesson plans. She dragged Veronica along with her instead.

Betty and Veronica had grown close over the past two years, not simply out of necessity, but because Betty genuinely enjoyed Veronica’s company and overzealous nature. While Betty was away from the house, Jughead took the time to sit and have a heart to heart with his daughter.

“Listen, can we talk for a bit,” he said interrupting Daisy’s reading time. He was still in shock that she’d rather spend her free time reading than watching television like most other kids her age.

She placed her bookmark in its place and set the book down beside her on the arm rest.

“So, things are good, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like at home. Things are going well here?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t they be? Oh god. Please don’t say you’re breaking up with Mom.” Panic flooded her eyes, tears ready to spill at any second.

“No. No. No. No.” Jughead tried to console her, but it was nearly too late. “God, no. I waited fifteen years for her, do you think I’d give up that easily?”

“I guess not,” she sniffled, still unsure where this talk was leading.

“I wanted to run an idea past you.”

Daisy nodded, face still painted in worry and confusion.

“What if I asked Mom to marry me?”

“What if what?” Her eyes lit up.

“You heard me, kiddo. I wanna ask Betty to marry me. What do you think?”

“I think that might be the best idea you’ve ever had!” Daisy shrieked. “Then we can be a real family!”

“We already _are_ a real family. Now we’ll be family on paper.” Jughead went to walk away, but turned back slowly before she picked her book up. “Actually, there’s one more thing we’d need to do to be a real honest to goodness family.”

Daisy’s eyes shot up.

“How would you feel if she adopted you? Then she’d officially be your mom.”

There was no denying that her smile was a bonafide ‘yes.’

\--

Betty came home from her shopping trip with Veronica with bags of supplies for Daisy, having followed her daughter’s very explicit instructions: a new planner; colored pens to keep her schedule organized; highlighters, but not the thick ones, the thin ones; college ruled, perforated notebooks. At thirteen, she and Betty had a lot in common. School supply shopping had always been a favorite pastime of Betty’s.

Jughead and Daisy greeted her as usual, not giving away any parts of the conversation they’d had or the plan the started to set in motion. It would happen for Betty’s half birthday, since she insisted on not celebrating her actual birthday.

The time flew by as Jughead and Daisy got everything in order to surprise her. They had printed and drawn up the adoption papers, all Betty needed to do was sign them. They’d gone to pick out an engagement ring together.

By the time November rolled around, everything was set. Betty had come home from working the bar, covering for Veronica, to find Jughead on the couch with Daisy snuggled up to him, the two of them watching a movie. It was one of her favorite things to come home to.

When Jughead heard the door click shut, he tapped his daughter on the shoulder and she ran off into the other room.

“Welcome home, honey,” Jughead said, a smile nearly breaking his face.

“Hi, handsome. How was today?”

“It was alright. Nothing special.”

Daisy came running back with a cupcake in her hand featuring a ‘B’ written in pink icing on top, expertly done by the looks of it.

“What’s this?”

“Happy half-birthday, Mom!” Daisy cheered.

Betty glared at Jughead, skeptical. “Thank you, munchkin."

Daisy handed her the cupcake and smiled. She ran back out of the room and returned a few seconds later, a wrapped t shirt box in her hand. Jughead winked at Daisy, something Betty almost missed, but her skepticism grew as she watched the sight before her unfold.

Daisy placed the box on the table and flopped herself into her favorite chair, sitting cross legged, her elbows on her knees, eyes wide. She was excited, but Betty still wasn’t sure why, until she looked back to Jughead, who was sitting at the edge of the couch, his hands fidgeting around something small in his hands.

Betty walked closer to him, trying to figure out what he was holding until he outstretched his hand to her and pulled her into his lap.

The moment was intimate, private, despite Daisy sitting in the same room. Jughead ran his nose across her cheek, up to her ear before speaking. He nuzzled there for a minute, listening to her hum in contentment.

“I love you,” he whispered. When he heard her take a breath to respond, he shook his head. “Elizabeth Cooper, thank you for loving me, for loving us, with everything you have. You have made us so happy these last few years.”

He could feel the tears starting to well in his eyes.

“Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me, with us?”

Betty pulled away to look him in the eye, her own glassy greens matching is icy blues.

“You want me to--”

“Marry me? Let’s make us a real family.”

Betty nodded furiously before her brain could catch up with what was happening. “Yes, of course. I wouldn’t want it any other way.” She leaned back into him, peppering kisses across his face, giggling uncontrollably.

Daisy waited patiently in her seat. After giving them what she deemed an appropriate amount of time to bask in their glow, she spoke.

“Mom? There’s one more thing.” She nudged the box on the table closer to Betty.

Curious, she picked it up and placed it in her lap, waiting for Jughead’s nod of approval to open it.

She unfurled the ribbon that draped the top, slowly lifting the lid and peeling back the tissue paper guarding the contents. Inside the box lay a packet of papers, neatly filled out with what looked to be a typewriter.

_Louisiana State Adoption_

Her eyes flew up to Jughead’s, then Daisy’s.

“You want me to adopt you?” Betty’s voice wavered, tears leaking one by one out of her eyes.

“You're already my mom. Why not make it official?”

And just like that, they were well on their way to becoming an official family. There was some logistical work behind it once the paperwork was submitted-- a background check, residency verification, home visits, anything else they deemed appropriate.

After three months, Betty Cooper had a child. She’d had one for over two years, but now it was official, and she was over the moon. Whenever someone asked about her daughter, she no longer felt that nagging pang from lying. Daisy was official hers, right down to the birth certificate.

A year after that, they were officially the Jones family, the Cooper name finally dead with her parents. When they returned from their honeymoon, their first purchase for their home as an official married couple was a doormat that read:

 

_The Jones Family._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks again to Summer and Lyss for being amazing humans. And thank you to everyone who's read, commented, kudo'd and shared this along with me. I hope you've enjoyed this plot bunny!
> 
> you can find me on the tumbles @shrugheadjonesthethird. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you guys think!  
> Find me on the tumbles @shrugheadjonesthethird
> 
> <3 xoxox


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